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i wmf/W NFETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D G UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

EDMUND W. WOODRUFF, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FARA/|-FENCEn Speci'cation forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,512,dated July 12, 186i.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND WV. WOOD- RUFF, of the city and county ofWashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new anduseful improvements in the mode of constructing and setting up myimproved taut-wire wood rail and post farm-fence and the following is afull and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

Figure l represents a perspective view of live spans of finished fence,set up zigzag with side braces. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of twospans or sections of fence ready for setting up, the points of the postssaturated with pitch. Fig. 3 shows a post prepared ready for use, ithaving a series of notches to support the wires. Fig. 4. is the top railprepared ready for use, the ends being notched to dovetail on the posts.Fig. 5 shows a rail used in connection with the top rail in tighteningup each section of the fence. Fig. 6 is one of the side braces orsupports.

The object of myinvention is to produce the most simple, economical,cheap, substantial, and durable fence for all plantation and farmpurposes.

My invention consists in the mode of notching the ends of rails and thetops of posts, so that when they are put together they form a dovctail,the rail being held rmly in its place by the tension of the wires; also,in the manner of putting the wires on the posts supporting them insawikerfs or their equivalent, alternately right and left, so that byusing one panel ofthe fence as a lever in setting up a sufticienttension is produced on all of the wires at the same time; likewise, inthe combined process of construction and mode of setting up and bracingthe fence. v

To enable others skilled in the art to make and erect my improvedfarm-fence, I will proceed to describe it in detail, referring to thedrawings, and to the letters marked thereon.

In constructing my farm-fence, I use either sawed stuft', split, orround stakes for the posts A A A. They maybe of such length as isdesirable for the height of the fence, the bottoms of which are hewn toa sharp point, so as to be driven into the ground without digging.

On the top of the posts A A A, I cut angular recesses a a a a, toreceive the ends of the horizontal rails B B, they being cut oit' atboth ends in such a manner as to leave an angular notch or dovetail, b bb, to fit the recesses a a in the tops of the posts A A, which, whenplaced in and pressed together by the tension of the wires c c c c, willprevent the rails B B from coming out in either direction. In one corneror on one side of each post A, I make broad saw-kerfs or notches e e ee, in which to place a series of strong wires, c c c c. They may be atany desirable distance apart to fill up the space between the top railBand the ground D D. The wires c c c c should be cut all of one lengthfor each section of the fence, and an eye made on the ends to pass ontothe ports. The sections may consist of from two spans to ten, more orless, as the convenience of putting up may require.

When sawed timber is used for the posts, braces, and rails, they may allbe prepared under cover in bad weather, and then distributed along theline where the fence is to stand, the wiies being also ready in rightlengths. The process of setting up is to drive one post, place the eyesof the wire onto it, they resting in the notches e e e e, then lay downthe measuring-piece E, (shown in Fig. 5,) at the end of which driveanother post; then place in the side brace, j', and the top rail B, thenremove the measuring-piece E and lay it down again, and drive anotherpost, and so on zigzag, alternately right and left of the direct line,until all but one post to complete the section is set up 5 then put theeyes' of the wires d d d onto the post not yet driven, and also thewires h h h for the next section. Ilace the top rail B in or against thenotches a a, and also the measuring-piece E at the bottom against thelast driven post and the one that remains to be driven to complete thesection. This panel is now on one side of the line of the fence, and thewires are all slack. By carrying the post A into a line of the poststhat are set up the top rail B and themeasurin gpiece E, holding againstthe wires c c c c, that are placed in the notches e e e e, right andleft of all the posts, this panel performs the part of a lever, andproduces the required tension on all of the wires, and they will be madetaut in proportion to the length allowed them for that purpose. Thussection after section may be'put up, care being taken to have the Wiresall of a length in each section, so that the tension may be uniformthroughout.

The advantages of my improved mode of constructing and putting upfarm-fence are, that any kind or shape timber can be usedsaWed, split,or round-for the rails, posts and braces. light, as the parts are all soarranged that the joints are compressed and held firmly together by thetension of the Wires on them, The sp an or distances between the postsmay be of any desired length, from six to twenty feet. There beingsuficient strength to the top rail and side braces, any number of Wiresfrom ,three to ten may be used, so that small animals may be kept fromgetting through, the top rails =be` ing so secured as not to be easilydisplaced, and they present a sufficient obstacle to prevent cattle fromruiming against the Wires and injuring themselves and damaging thefence; and, furthermore, the quantity of inaterial used being so muchless than any other, there being no nails or pins used, nor anylnortiscs or tenons, it can be iitted in the field (requiring no toolsbut a saw and ax) and put The timber may be very smalland up withgreater facility and at less cost than any other fence, the posts notrequiring to be driven but a short distance into the ground, the sidebraces giving it sufficient strength to resist the Wind or other forces.

Having thus fully described my improved farm-fence, the mode ofconstruction, and the process of setting it up, what I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Pate-nt, is-

1. So forming the upper ends of the posts by means of a dovetail shapeand a corre-4 sponding angularity of the rails that when the Wiresforming the body'of the fence are drawn to their required tension thesaid rails are held rmly in place.

`2. Attaching the Wires to the posts and supporting the same onintervening posts in the manner described, in combination with themethod of giving ltension to thc Wires, substantially as specified.

n EDMUND W. WOODRUFF.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, J. B. WOODRUFF.

